Red meat
By Alyssa Rolnick, RD

There seems to be a lot of confusion about red meat these days. To be clear, red meats are the cuts that are dark in colour before cooking. They include beef, lamb, veal, pork, venison, bison and other game. Red meat can be part of a healthy diet as long as you follow the rules: opt for lean cuts, follow certain cooking tips and eat the proper portion size.

Choose lean cuts
All meats (including poultry) provide important nutrients such as iron, zinc, B vitamins and protein. However all meats, especially red meat, contain saturated fats, the type of fats that raise blood cholesterol levels. Shop for the leanest cuts and look for round, loin, inside or outside round roast, eye of round steak, strip loin or sirloin steak. Tenderloin cuts of meat can be lean if visible fat is trimmed. Choose lean and extra lean ground meat. Game meat such as bison, caribou, elk, deer or moose also tend to be lean.

Hot dog, sausages and deli meats are usually high in fat and sodium. If you eat these types of meat, choose sodium-reduced and lower-fat varieties. Sandwiches can be made with unprocessed meats such as roast beef or pork. Try Anne Lindsay’s honey garlic roast pork and use leftovers for a delicious healthy brown-bagged lunch.

To help minimize the amount of saturated fat you consume, Canada’s Food Guide also recommends having meat alternatives such as beans, lentils and tofu often and eating at least two servings of fish each week.

Watch serving sizes
One serving of red meat equals 75 grams (2 ½ ounces), about the size of a small deck of cards. Canada’s Food Guide recommends consuming 1 to 3 servings of meat or meat alternatives every day. Half of your plate should be full of vegetables while one quarter should contain grains and the other quarter meat or meat alternatives.

Prep your red meats healthfully
Trimming excess fat before cooking can help significantly reduce the fat content of your meat. Canada’s Food Guide recommends that meat should be prepared with little or no added fat or salt. You can also make your lean cuts more tender and flavourful by making your own marinades using a little bit of olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, and fresh or dried herbs. Try Anne Lindsay’s marinated leg of lamb with coriander.

Cook it right
Use low-fat cooking methods such as grilling, roasting, broiling and stir-frying in a non-stick pan. You can make lean ground beef even leaner by draining the fat after cooking or rinsing it under warm water and patting it dry. Soups, stews and chili can be refrigerated so that as the fats harden and rise to the surface, they can be skimmed off the top with a spoon. Try our quick and easy beef and black bean chili.

Health Canada recommends that you handle all meats and other foods safely to avoid cross-contamination.

BBQ meats properly to avoid cancer-causing substances with these recommendations from the Canadian Cancer Society. 

Posted: June 2010